Pablo Hernandez has announced his arrival on the Premier League after proving the perfect fit for stylish Swansea City.

Pablo Hernandez has announced his arrival on the Premier League after proving the perfect fit for stylish Swansea City.

And now the Spain star, so impressive in the midweek win over West Brom, is hoping to shake off injury to show it again against Arsenal and former La Liga rival Santi Cazorla.

The 27-year-old, with his pedigree of international caps and Champions League experience, was always tipped to be an eye-catching capture by Michael Laudrup.

A deadline-week record buy at a lengthily-negotiated £5.55m, there had been plenty of Liberty expectation about what the wideman could offer.

Yet in the first few weeks of his switch to South Wales, Hernandez had only offered glimpses of why Laudrup had pushed so hard to land him.

Slowly, but very surely, those glimpses have become glaringly obvious periods of skill and technique.

None more so than in the 3-1 victory over West Brom where he was the key man in all three goals, the direct provider for two of them.

Because, although a winger by trade, it is less about beating men (although he does that often enough), but the touch and the pass that links up so well, with others increasingly on his wavelength.

With such class and confidence, there can be no doubt that Swansea’s style, the ideals of Laudrup and this player are, together, a match made in heaven.

“I like this football,” said Hernandez, or Pablo H according to the name on his Swansea shirt. “Of course, the Premier League is different to Spain and can be a bit more physical, but I am enjoying it here.

“Swansea is a good team for me; the philosophy of the manager is good for my style and the other players have a good relationship with me.

“We are all happy and playing good football.”

Never more so than on Wednesday night, the first 45 minutes, in particular, simply staggering such was the fluidity of the football that a previously impressive Albion had no answer to.

And it marked another game where a series of markers had little reply to the influence Hernandez was having on things, whether out wide on either flank or drifting inside.

“I was happy with my game against West Brom and very happy with the result because they were three important points,” he said. “We played very well in the first half, not so good in the second half, but it was an important win against a good team.

“I made two passes for two goals. I’m very happy with my game, but more important is to help the team win.”

Laudrup’s decision to go with three ‘wide’ players across the supporting line behind frontman Michu looked to have helped towards that victory, the three interchanging with ease and Routledge benefiting with two goals.

“He has scored four goals this season and when I arrived here it was one in more than 100 so he is doing well,” said Laudrup of Routledge, the 27-year-old’s record actually reading one in 127 before the season started.

“I had been thinking about playing all three of them for some weeks.

“I knew West Brom would be very solid with two lines of four, but if I had Michu drifting and the three behind him... I thought this was the game to try it.”

Hopes of extending the experiment to the Emirates – where Swansea can, amazingly, move into fifth with a win – very much depend on Hernandez’s fitness.

The only negative on Wednesday was the sight of the ex-Valencia man limping off midway through the second half with a thigh wound, Laudrup suggesting it was enough to keep him out.

Hernandez, though, is particularly keen to play given his admiration of Arsenal’s Spain star Cazorla. A close pal of Swans team-mate Michu, the diminutive attacking midfielder has been arguably the Gunners’ best performer this season.

And Hernandez is keen for both he and Swansea to pit their wits against a club with a similar continental style.

“I don’t know how bad it is, but I’d hope to be OK for the weekend,” said Hernandez after the West Brom win, marker Billy Jones one of few men happy to see him leave the Liberty field.

“I hope so because I am looking forward to playing Arsenal.

“They are a team I have watched for many years in the Champions League, playing great games against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Milan.

“It was great to watch Cesc Fabregas for them and now Santi Cazorla.

“We played together for the national team and against each other many times for Villarreal and Valencia.

“He’s a top player and a good person, he is probably one of the best players in the Premier.”

Swansea reached the 20-point mark with victory on Wednesday, halfway to the tally of 40 that should signify safety and another year in the Premier.

Yet there are fewer points to the Champions League place of Chelsea than to the bottom and Hernandez is refusing to discount the chances of pushing on further tomorrow.

And he said: “It will be difficult to get a result at the Emirates, but if the team play with the same mentality and ability as against West Brom then we can do well.”

WalesOnline is part of Media Wales, publisher of the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the seven Celtic weekly titles, offering you unique access to our audience across Wales online and in print.